The Girl in a White Dress
by gamekeeper
Summary: Gale and Madge make an unusal friendship when Katniss is forced to kill or be killed in the Hunger Games. There romance is implied, but never told. This is Madge's story. MadgexGale
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

I wake to the agonizing, horrible screeches that must be coming from my mother. Most likely she is having another one of her 'headaches', but I know better. I saw the test results that my father had got from the doctor. They say she's mentally ill. Unfit. Mad. I once asked mother when I was younger why she had her 'headaches', and she said to me 'Madge, dear, I hope one day you'll understand. I can't. . . can't talk about it. Not without it hurting.' And then, she took her morphling and I didn't speak to her for the rest of the week.

I couldn't get back to sleep. I checked downstairs but my father was already gone, to get everything 'Capitol Ready' for the Reaping. There's only the slightest chance my name will be pulled from the reaping bowl, but every year since I was twelve years old, I get that horrible feeling that it will be me. Oh, the Capitol people would be beside themselves, having a _Mayor's _daughter in there sick, twisted little Hunger Games. I wouldn't be surprised if the Reaping is rigged, and I'll be the one having to kill or be killed. I could never do it. I can't kill a spider, let alone a tribute.

I decide to get ready. I slip on my white dress that used to belong to my aunt, Maysilee, until she died in the Hunger Games, of course. That's the main reason my mothers unstable, imagine losing a twin, but having to watch her die and can't do anything about it?

"Ouch!" I yelp in pain, because something has stabbed me in the pocket of the beautiful dress. I fumble around in the pocket and find a golden pin. A Mockingjay. I like mockingjay's, because not only do they sing bright and bubbly notes, but they were also a mistake of the Capitol's. Something they had not expected. The birds had backfired on the Capitol. I decide to wear it.

I brush my hair thoroughly and tie it up in a pink ribbon. Just as I've finished, there's a knock on the door.

Gale and Katniss stand there with a bag of strawberries.

"Pretty dress." Gale says sarcastically.

I glare at him but smile. Two can play at this game.

"Well, if I end up in the Capitol I want to look pretty, don't I?"

"You won't be going to the Capitol. How many entries have you got? Like five? I had six when I was just twelve years old." I agree with him there. It's very unfair, the reaping buisness, with the poor having a better chance at having there names drawn.

"That's not her fault." Katniss says.

"No, it's no one's fault, just the way it is." He mumbles, but I disagree. It's the Capitol's fault.

I give them the money, wish them luck and go inside.

I start biting my nails, and once I've started, I can't stop. They start to bleed, so I stop, but start to bite my hair. I'm so nervous. But I'm more scared for other people. People I know and care about. People I love.

I take my place in the crowded 16year old group after I've been checked in. My father has just came on stage and he's giving the same old speech he does every year. After what seems like a decade, Effie Trinket comes on stage and intoduces herself in the same annoying, bubbly Capitol accent of hers.

"Ladies first." She says, and trots on her high heels over to the bowl full of slips of paper. She scrambles about to find one and she says in a clear voice "Primrose Everdeen!" and my heart sinks. She's only twelve, and even worse, she's Katniss' sister, and I know what will happen before it even does.

Katniss screams "Prim! No, Prim!" She runs up to her younger sister and pushes her behind her and she croaks out "I volunteer! I voluunteer!" I wish I could do something, but I can't so I just watch as the whole scenario happens right before my eyes.

"Lovely!" Chimed Effie Trinket, but I don't think it's lovely. The exact opposite, actually.

I have to visit Katniss. I know what I must do, and what she's cabable of. She can win. I know she can.

I only have to wait ten minutes until it's my turn to see Katniss, and when they call my name, I run through the door as fast as I can before I can change my mind.

"They let you where one thing from your district in the arena. Will you wear this?" I say quickly, because I know I haven't got much time. I hold out the Mockingjay, maybe it will give her hope.

"You'r pin?" She says, ovbiously confused.

"Here, I'll put it on your dress, all right?" I don't wait for an answer.

I fix it on to her pale blue dress, and say "Promise you'll where it into the arena, Katniss? Promise?" I ask.

"Yes." I give her a kiss on her cheeck and dash out, not wanting to cry or do anyhting stupid around her.

Outside of the Justice Building, Gale sits on the steps with his head in his hands and he looks devastated. I'm not really the comforting sort, and he did take a dig at me this morning, but something draws me to him.

I sit beside him and awkwardly put my arm around him. He looks up and frowns.

"What are you doing here, Undersee?" I don't like that he used my last name.

"I could ask you the same question. Are you alright . . . I mean . . , stupid question. What I'm trying to say is, that I know how you feel. She's my friend too."

"You don't know how I feel! I loved her! And now she's gone forever." He shhouts, taking me by suprise. Something inside of me didn't relly like that he said that he loved her. Weird. Must be my emotions playing up.

"So, you've just completley given up. Already. She could win, you know." I say.

"There's twentey-four. One comes out. And her odds haven't exactly been in her favour latley, have they?"

"Well, I haven't given up yet. See you in the square." I say, and I walk off, not wanting him to crush my hope about Katniss winning. She has to win. I know she will.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

After the conversation with Gale, I can't see to get him off my mind. I mean, I don't even like him! I should be worrying about more important things, like the Hunger Game, Katniss or even school. Not boys. Well, he's as good as a man, now I guess. I walk home lost in thought, and by the time I'm at my front door I almost bump into it.

My father sits in his office, and I know when he's like this I shouldn't bother him. My mother is probably unconscious from the morphling. Usually, when it's like this I get lonely and want more then anything for a friend or a sister. But now I just want to be alone. I go over to my piano and play whatever my heart feels like playing, and I play until the sun disappears and the moon comes up.

_I dance in the meadow, my heart racing and my adrenaline getting high. I didn't want this to stop, his comforting presence, the warmth he gives me. He comes closer and closer until he's wrapped around me. _

"_I love you." He whispers into my ear, making me shiver with excitement._

"_I love you too." And we dance the night away. But then, I see the face._

_It's not a dream any more. It's more like a nightmare._

_It's Gale._

I wake drenched in sweat and I find I'm leaning on the piano. I'm more then confused to be honest, I'm baffled. Gale? Did I just dream about him? I did. I can't believe it. I don't like him, let alone love him! I look at the clock on the mantelpiece and see the time. It was five minutes till nine. Uh Oh. I rush upstairs and get changed into my plain school uniform, put my hair in a messy ponytail and head on out. I sprint down dusty roads full of people already, and I know I'll never make it in time, so I decide to take a shortcut. I run down the small alleyway and almost bump into someone.

"Sorry!" I yell, and the man grunts. I think he's drunk. Yes, he's drunk alright.

I'm just walking off as his dirty hands grab me from behind. He shoves me against the wall, and I can do nothing but scream.

"No! Stop! What are you doing? Please stop!" I scream, but he does nothing of the sort and runs his finger up my top. He's disgusting.

"Hello, girly, want to play?" He slurs with a grin on his face.

I spit in his face, but he doesn't even notice. He rips my clothes off and hurts me and hurts me until I feel like a rag doll. For his amusement. His dirty fingers work his way down, and I try kicking him but he's sitting on my feet, and it hurts so much. It's night when he finally stops.

"Bye girly, maybe we can play again some other day" He mumbles with a wink. He's sick.

I lay in the dark and cold alleyway with tears streaming down my face. I think I go to sleep, and when I wake I thought it had just been a nightmare. No such luck. I could see the bruises and bite marks on my skin in the faint light. That's when I hear footsteps. He's came back, for sure. Wanted another go. More rape.

"No! Just leave me alone!" I screech and I curl up into a ball.

"Madge?" Says a familiar voice. It's not my attacker here, but my saviour. It's Gale.

"Gale," I choke out. "Gale, he hurt . . . me and I, I . . . I" I can't finish the sentence because I burst into tears.

"Shhh Madge, It's alright, I'm here." He sooths me, and he wraps his arms around me. Just like in my dream.

He carry's me like a toddler all the way to his house, which I guess is nearer then mine.

I feel dirty and deflated and all I want to do is sleep. Gale's mother takes me in, and bathes m cuts and bruises in water. I cry and she gives me a cuddle, and even though I don't really know her, I'm grateful. She gives me clean clothes that must belong to her, and I wouldn't where them usually, because it is quite dirty but I don't object. Once I'm bathed and dressed, I decide to be strong. I can't let that excuse of a man bring me down my entire life. Katniss wouldn't cry, I tell myself. She'd be strong.

So I go up to Gale and say "Thank you. I don't know what would have happened without you."

Gale shakes his head and says, "If I ever found the monster that did that to you, he'd be worse then dead." He says in such a dark tone that he scares me and I actually flinch. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you, It's just your so sweet and small and defenceless, and when someone like_ that_ hurts you I can't help feeling protective over you." He made it sound like I was his sister. And, I hadn't realized it until now, but I wanted to be more then that.

Just as I'm leaving to go to my house to tell my father some lie about why I was out all night, Gale asks "Madge, want to watch the Opening Ceremony with me in the square?" I think about what he just asked. It's almost like a date, I think but I push that thought to the back of my mind. He's just a friend, I tell myself.

"Urm, okay, sure." He smiled sweetly at me, and I think what a way we've came since the strawberries! We're actually friends. Maybe I'm not hopeless. Maybe I'm not so lonely . . . And I walk straight into a wall.

My father was livid when I said I had been out with some friends. He doesn't know me that well to know that I don't really have friends, so he believed me.

"Madge, I expected more from you! Get to your room now and your not to come out!" I decided to be cheeky. A day with Gale has made me think like that, so I poke my tongue out and roll my eyes.

"Madge Undersee! What in Panem has got into you? Your grounded for the rest of the week!" Fine, I thought, I'll climb through the window. Nothing will stop me from seeing Gale. Not even the Mayor.


End file.
